


Shades of Green

by KrisLetang



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Anger, Apologies, Dogs, F/M, Fighting, Friendship, Jealousy, Lunch, Making Up, Tense Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-26
Updated: 2018-06-26
Packaged: 2019-05-29 00:19:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15060947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KrisLetang/pseuds/KrisLetang
Summary: Fighting with Rafael reveals some vulnerability you've never seen before





	Shades of Green

**Author's Note:**

> This was actually from dialogue prompts but I did it a long time ago and I totally forget where I even got the prompt, but these are the lines I used:
> 
> A: “Hey..what’s wrong with your face?”/ “What? I meant it as a compliment.”/ ‘Well that could have gone better.”  
> B: “How could you do this to me?”/ “I would break his thumbs right now if I could.”/ “humility is not one of my many virtues.”  
> Extra: “I don’t think that person knows how sandwiches work,”
> 
> Hope you enjoy while I try to finish other things up.

You knocked on the door to your boyfriend’s office, smiling at Carmen as you waited for him to answer. “Come in,” his muffled voice already sounded pissed. You gulped, clutching the Starbucks cup in your hand, a sort of peace offering. 

**“Hey…”** you said tentatively, trying to turn the angry look he wore into something softer, **“What’s wrong with your face?”** it became increasingly obvious that humor was not the way to go when he looked up and scowled even harder at you, “I brought you coffee,” you tried, but he just looked back down at his work, “Come on Rafi,” 

**“How could you do this to me?”** he finally asked, breaking the silent treatment he had been subjecting you to, “I mean seriously Y/N, you picked the worst week ever to invite someone I don’t even like over for dinner,” 

“Oh come on Rafael, don’t be so overdramatic. You could be a little nicer to Sonny,” you commented, defending your best friend. He rolled his eyes, turning the page of the case file he was looking at. 

**“I would break his thumbs right now if I could,”** he growled, just loud enough for you to hear. You laughed, shaking your head and reaching into the bag of take out. Maybe feeding him would help, he did tend to get grumpier when he was hungry. 

“I brought lunch,” your sing-song voice seemed to just make him more irritated, so you maneuvered your way around his desk and behind him and wrapped your arms around his neck, “Rafi, darling, what is this really about?” He shrugged you off, tearing the paper from his sub and taking a bite of the sandwich, 

“Now I’m going to have to reschedule lunch with my mother so I can get off early enough on Friday to come home for this idiotic dinner with Carisi and then I get to watch as he-” Rafael stopped talking, and you frowned. He stood up, grabbing a stack of papers and heading towards the door, so you rushed after him, figuring you could press him for that information later, 

“Who would have known I would end up with such a mama’s boy,” you teased, gently elbowing him in the ribs as he stopped at Carmen’s desk. He let out an annoyed huff as Carmen tried to muffle her laugh, “What?” you said still giggling, **“I meant it as a compliment,”** Rafael rolled his eyes once more, briskly strolling down the hallway, eating his sandwich as he walked. You rushed to keep up with him, glad when he stopped in front of a printer just down the hallway, “Raf, slow down and talk to me please,” 

“Well you seem to be making all sorts of decisions without me, what happened to spending Christmas together, just us this year?” he said bitterly, between bites. You crossed your arms, 

“Rafael Barba, that is just not fair, you know my brother has nowhere else-” you started to defend yourself but he cut you off, 

“And then just last week I come home and you bought a damn dog without even asking,” he continued in a hissed whisper, trying not to attract too much attention, 

“But he was so cute Rafi and you-” 

“Look mi amor, this is not a good time, I have meeting in five minutes” he finally said, interrupting you again, and leaning in to kiss your cheek, “I’ll see you later,” and that was that, he walked away, leaving you standing in the middle of the D.A.’s office all alone. 

**“Well that could have gone better,”** you whispered to yourself, before heading out to a catch a cab home. 

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

You really weren’t trying to make him more angry, it just kind of happened. You had to run back to the precinct to grab some files you had forgotten and Sonny offered to grab take out for the both of you. That coupled with Rafael’s text saying that he would be home late...again, you had taken your partner up on his offer. You two were sitting on the couch, Queso, your husky puppy, sitting right in between you, as you ate some italian take out and watched some stupid tv show. **“I don’t even think that person knows how sandwiches work,”** you exclaimed, laughing. You stiffened as the door opened and shut, realizing this may not have been the best decision, 

“Cariño? Sorry I’m so late, I had some things to do for tomorrow,” he sounded like he was in a much better mood, maybe he would take this well, “I was thinking, if you aren’t too tired we could go out tonight-” his voice trailed off as he walked into the living room and saw Carisi, “Oh,” he said, his smile melting into a frown, “I’m just going to be in the study,” he said after a long silence. You felt bad, he almost looked hurt. 

“Barba, you don’t have to leave,” Sonny called, but you elbowed him in the side, he was just going to make this worse, “Maybe I should go,” your partner said after a few moments, 

“Thanks Sonny,” you said softly as he collected his things. You tiredly threw your head back against the couch, all of this fighting was getting irritating. Rafael was busy, he was stressed, you understood, you really did, but you were exhausted from it. You sighed, pouring a glass of Bourbon for Rafael and some Merlot for yourself, and then heading back towards his study. You knocked once, but he didn’t answer, obviously still stewing. You opened the door anyways, but he didn’t even look up at you. “Raf,” you whispered, “I brought you a drink,” his shoulders were slumped, he looked defeated which was a foreign sight to you. 

“Go, have fun with Carisi, I’m just going to work,” he whispered, but you weren’t having it. 

“Darling, Sonny left,” you murmured, pressing your lips against his temple and setting the tumbler down on his desk, “Besides, I was only trying to pass the time until you got home,” Rafael sighed, not meeting your gaze. He stood up, walking over towards the fireplace, “Rafi,” you whispered, actually concerned at what might make him this forlorn. 

“I think I’m just going to go to bed,” you sat there quietly, watching as he retreated towards your bedroom. You heard muffled swearing, catching the tail end of Rafael banishing Queso from your bed. You walked up behind him, rubbing your hand up and down his back, over his shoulder blade, 

“Are you really mad about Christmas?” you asked softly, “I can-I can try and figure something else out,” 

“No,” he grumbled softly, “Christmas is fine,” 

“And the dog?” 

“Well I would absolutely love it if you actually kept him off the furniture like you promised,” he whispered in the same tone. His muscles were so rigid, 

“And how about dinner with Sonny,” He didn’t answer that one, instead yanking his tie off and starting on his shirt. “Rafi,” you whispered, exasperated, “Sonny has never done a thing to you, if you could just swallow your ego and give him a chance-” Rafael laughed bitterly, shaking his head, “What the hell has Sonny done to you then?” 

“He’s done plenty,” your beau hissed, angrily pulling on a t shirt. You let out a huff of frustration, Rafael was being a stubborn hardass and you just wanted to punch him in the face. 

“Can you not act like this?” Rafael crawled under the covers, facing the wall rather than looking at you, “Stop behaving like a petulant child,” 

“ _ Me _ , a child? I’m not the one constantly sneaking around, for once could you actually be straight with me?” he exclaimed. You looked at him with a frown, he had literally just said he wasn’t upset about all of his complaints. 

“Ugh, I hate you,” you hissed, fed up with this. 

“Yeah well why don’t you go date Carisi then,” it was almost too soft for you to hear, but your eyes bugged out all the same, 

“ _ Carisi _ ? Why the hell would I date Carisi?” you asked, practically dragging Rafael over onto his other side to look at you, 

“He’s closer to your age, you seem to enjoy spending all your damn time with him, he likes dogs and babies, you work the same hours-” you silenced him with a finger on his lips, 

“Rafael, I don’t want to date Sonny,” you whispered, “All I want is to be with you darling,” he looked away, frowning. This vulnerability, it was something you didn’t often see from him. “Do you really think that I would have spent my entire day off buying all of your favorite things for your birthday party last year if I didn’t love you?” he opened his mouth to say something, but you shushed him, “Or how about when I drove all the way across the city and missed my tickets to Broadway to pick up your case files and take them to you when you had the flu? Rafi, have I ever lied to you?” 

“No,” he agreed softly, looking slightly sheepish, “I’m sorry cariño, I just, you are always so happy around him and he looks at you the way I do,” his hands tightened up into a fist when he said that before softly adding, “And I thought you were excited for Friday,” your eyes went wide, 

“Oh my god, I totally-I totally forgot about the weekend trip, Rafael, I’m so sorry,” you whispered. Rafael’s eyes had lightened considerably, he looked relieved. 

“We can just leave later, it’s fine,” he relented, intertwining your hands together. You grabbed a handful of his short locks, gently nudging his head over into your lap. You sat in silence for awhile, feeling much better now that the air was clear. Rafael shut his eyes, his face looking relaxed for the first time since you told him. 

“Rafi,” you finally whispered, fingers scraping gently against his scalp,

“Hmm?” he asked softly, his eyes still shut. 

“I happen to like the fact that you are older than me,” you whispered. His eyes shot open, looking like he was about to cut in and assure you he was over it, but what he had said, it was coming from somewhere, “Nope, shhh, it’s my turn,” you added, cutting off all of his attempts to object, “I like you exactly the way you are Rafael, you are exactly what I want, work hours and all, and I don’t ever want to hear another word suggesting otherwise,” 

“I think you forgot to mention my dashing looks mi amor,” Rafael softly replied, a small smirk playing on his lips, 

“Oh, I see that humility didn’t last long,” you teased, rubbing circles into the his shoulder muscles to try and relax him. 

“Shouldn’t you know by now that **humility is not one of my many virtues?** ” he said, giving you his trademark smirk that had charmed countless juries. 

“Mmmhmm,” you said with a laugh, “I am well aware,” the both of you sat there for a few more minutes before Rafael jumped, practically falling off the bed,

“What the fuck,” he exclaimed, but you just covered your mouth giggling as Queso’s furry head appeared, coming over to nuzzle your arm with his cold, wet nose, the likely culprit of your beau’s outburst, “I really don’t like dogs,” he grumbled, but you knew deep down he was just too stubborn to admit he liked the little guy. You had infact walked in on him cuddling with Queso as he took a short nap the evening before. 

“Sure Rafi, whatever you say,” he opened his mouth to reply, but you quieted him with a look, “Let’s just go watch a movie,” you suggested with a laugh, and he nodded in agreement, happily wrapping his arm around you. As you sat there, laughing at his stupid commentary that was meant for your amusement, you nuzzled further into Rafael’s arms. He was definitely not someone that you ever wanted to lose, hot temper and all. He was yours. 


End file.
